Lincoln Park teen drops suit against parents

Rachel Canning sits during a hearing at the Morris County Courthouse, Tuesday, March 4, 2014, in Morristown.

Rachel Canning, the 18-year-old who sparked an international outcry by suing her parents for financial support, dropped her lawsuit Tuesday.

Appearing in court on Tuesday morning, Canning testified that her decision to quit the suit “was a knowing and voluntary decision,” according to a one-paragraph order issued by state Superior Court Judge Peter A. Bogaard in Morris County. In his decision, the judge ordered the case dismissed.

Canning moved back into her parents’ home in Lincoln Park last week. She had been living with the family of John Inglesino, an attorney and former Morris County freeholder, who also came in for withering criticism on social media websites for what some observers believed was his supporting role in the case.

Many people who commented said the case seemed to highlight a generation of teens and young adults whom some people see as spoiled and entitled.

“This case really did hit a nerve,” said Silvana Raso, a family law attorney in Englewood Cliffs. “People were upset because Rachel Canning seemed to have a sense of entitlement. Also |that a lawyer who fueled the litigation by |paying her legal fees seemed to be imposing his views on how she should be raised by another family.”

Inglesino did not represent Canning. She was represented in court Tuesday by attorney Tanya Helfand. Canning’s parents, Sean and Elizabeth Canning, were represented by attorneys Angelo Sarno and Ashley Vallilo.

The argument between Rachel Canning and her parents erupted in October, around the time Canning turned 18. Her parents were growing increasingly concerned about her increased drinking, excessive partying and returning home late, the judge acknowledged.

A student-athlete and cheerleader, Canning also lost her spot as captain of the cheerleading squad at Morris Catholic High School, and she was suspended from school for cutting classes, said a lawyer representing her parents.

The parents blamed many of these problems on Canning’s boyfriend, who they believed was a bad influence. They gave her an ultimatum: break up with the boy or move out of the house when she turned 18. Canning chose the latter, moving into the home of a friend whose father is John Inglesino. She then sued her parents for financial support, including $654 a week and payment of her college tuition, which may cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

In a preliminary hearing in the case in early March, Bogaard signaled that Canning appeared to have a weak case.

“If parents impose a rule that junior doesn’t like, can junior move out, and then sue for monetary damages?” he asked in court. “Can a 12-year-old sue for an XBox? Can a 16-year-old sue for a 60-inch flat-screen TV? We have to be conscious of the potential precedents here.”

Last week, when the teen moved back home with her parents, Sarno, the parents’ lawyer, said the family was beginning to take the first steps toward reconciliation even though the case was not yet formally dismissed.

“The bottom line is it’s over. She’s home,” he said. “You can’t address family grievances in a courtroom.”

Canning’s decision to move home was not predicated on any promise of financial support, Sarno said.

Rachel Canning, the 18-year-old who sparked an international outcry by suing her parents for financial support, dropped her lawsuit Tuesday.

Appearing in court on Tuesday morning, Canning testified that her decision to quit the suit “was a knowing and voluntary decision,” according to a one-paragraph order issued by state Superior Court Judge Peter A. Bogaard in Morris County. In his decision, the judge ordered the case dismissed.

Canning moved back into her parents’ home in Lincoln Park last week. She had been living with the family of John Inglesino, an attorney and former Morris County freeholder, who also came in for withering criticism on social media websites for what some observers believed was his supporting role in the case.

Many people who commented said the case seemed to highlight a generation of teens and young adults whom some people see as spoiled and entitled.

“This case really did hit a nerve,” said Silvana Raso, a family law attorney in Englewood Cliffs. “People were upset because Rachel Canning seemed to have a sense of entitlement. Also |that a lawyer who fueled the litigation by |paying her legal fees seemed to be imposing his views on how she should be raised by another family.”

Inglesino did not represent Canning. She was represented in court Tuesday by attorney Tanya Helfand. Canning’s parents, Sean and Elizabeth Canning, were represented by attorneys Angelo Sarno and Ashley Vallilo.

The argument between Rachel Canning and her parents erupted in October, around the time Canning turned 18. Her parents were growing increasingly concerned about her increased drinking, excessive partying and returning home late, the judge acknowledged.

A student-athlete and cheerleader, Canning also lost her spot as captain of the cheerleading squad at Morris Catholic High School, and she was suspended from school for cutting classes, said a lawyer representing her parents.

The parents blamed many of these problems on Canning’s boyfriend, who they believed was a bad influence. They gave her an ultimatum: break up with the boy or move out of the house when she turned 18. Canning chose the latter, moving into the home of a friend whose father is John Inglesino. She then sued her parents for financial support, including $654 a week and payment of her college tuition, which may cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

In a preliminary hearing in the case in early March, Bogaard signaled that Canning appeared to have a weak case.

“If parents impose a rule that junior doesn’t like, can junior move out, and then sue for monetary damages?” he asked in court. “Can a 12-year-old sue for an XBox? Can a 16-year-old sue for a 60-inch flat-screen TV? We have to be conscious of the potential precedents here.”

Last week, when the teen moved back home with her parents, Sarno, the parents’ lawyer, said the family was beginning to take the first steps toward reconciliation even though the case was not yet formally dismissed.

“The bottom line is it’s over. She’s home,” he said. “You can’t address family grievances in a courtroom.”

Canning’s decision to move home was not predicated on any promise of financial support, Sarno said.